The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-07-16
THE JULY SkIES.
what Sights They fave to oner to the
Observer.

Venus is the evening star. The earth $
twin sister grows more brilliant as night
| after hi ght she draws nearer to us, pre-
Senting during the mouth almost her
| brightest aspect, as with bewitching
grace she makes her shining way i'll her
| appointed course. During the first half
| Of the month she is on the meridian about
| three o'clock in the afternoon. II the at
mosphere be clear, she may be found at
that time near the meridian, or point
overhead, either with the naked eye or
with an opera glass, looking like an in
tense white point. If Il telescope be used,
| her appearance will be like that of the
moon at the last quarter.
Venus is very near the bright star Reg
ulus, or Alpha Leonis, OH the 45h. The
conjunctio takes place at ten O'Clock in
the evening, the planet being at that
time L IA north of the star. Regulus
is the first magntu lie star of the handle
Of the sickle. The other star i'll the
| handle is Eta Leonis, and those who
watch the celestial meeting will see Venus
pass between the two stars. Tie con
| jucture occurs very near the time when
the actors in the scene disappear below
the horizon. Venus setting on the It'll a
few minutes before zen O'clock. 1t will,
! therefore, be All interesting phenomenon
to obserye Tue bright moonlight will dim
| the llsteI OF Regulus, but will have little
elfecE Oh Venus. An opera glass VIII be
a great help in Watching the scene. Those
who wish for ocular proof that Venus
met and passed Rcgulus viii find her
east Of the star on the evening Of the OH.
As Venus moves on her eastward path
she is in conjunction with Gamma Leonis,
a star of the second magnitude, on the
| eth, and in close con junction with Rho
Leonis. a star of the fourth magnitude,
on TIE llth.
GA the 18Th, at midnight, the iairest OF
the stars reaches her greatest eastern
elongatior, and is then - 3i east of the
sun. She is in her most distant point
from the san, and her progress eastward
is stepped. She retraces her steps and
approaches the sun, at the same time ap.
proaches the earth all the time growing
larger and more brilliant. She will be
surprisingly lovely through the whole
mouth of July, but will lessen the length
of her stay above the horizon as she draws
near the sun, thus proving that her
course has changed. Her northern decli-
nation rapidly decreases during the
month, this also lessons her stay above
the horizon, but will not prevent her
from being the most attractive feature
i'll the stavlit July sky. Venus sets on
| TIE list a few minutes before ten o'clock
III the evening: on the 3lst she sets about
a quarter before nine o'clock.
Jupiter is evening 't.r. Until the
10Th, this brilliant planet will appear to
be almost immovablc, rcmliniug about
east of his seemingly inseparable com
panion, Spica. The bond of brotherhood
will then be broken, as Jupiter moves
eastward in direct motion, and slowly
travels away from his long time friend
| On the 3lst the space between planet and
star will measure nearly , On the 3lst
of August the distance between them
will be nearly Il. Jupiter, like Venus,
is moving rapidly southwark, and this
shortens his stay above the horizon. The
two rival planets appear upon the scene
as soon as the sun sets, in directly oppO-
site parts Of the sky, Jupiter rising in the
southeast, and Venus setting in the
northwest. On the 10Th at eight o'clock
in the evening, an interesting event Oc-
planet. He is in quadrate with the sun
on his eastern side beipg 90 east, just
half way between opposition aud con-
junction. He is then fair to see az he
| looks down from the meridian at sunset
and sinks below the horizon at midnight,
enjoying this distinction over the peer
less Venus, that while she cannot be seen
but three hours after sunset or before
sunrise, he can shine brightly on the
midnight sky, or rise i'll the east as the
sun sinks in the west. Jupiter sets on
the lst about quarter OF an hour after
midnight; on the 3lst he sets a quarter
after ten o'clock in the evening.
Saturn is evening s5ar until the 18th,
when he makes his bow to his terrestrial
audience and reappears i'll a new charac-
ter. On the 1S.h, at eleven O'Clock in
the evening, the -inged planet is in con-
junction with the sun, passes beyond him
and, changing his position to the sun
| western side, commences his career as
as morning star. For about two months
he will be too near the sun to be visible,
but during the latter part of September
he will adorn the sky, in the small hours
of the morning, when he shall be found
his last years. companions, Castor and
Pollux. Saturn sets on the lst about a
quarter after eight in the evening; on
the 3lst he rises at quarter before four
O'Clock IL the morning.
Mercury is evening star till the 2Sth
and morning star after that time. On
the LIST. at five o'clock i'll the morning,
this fleet footed planet reaches his great
est eastern elongatiun, being then u y
east of the sun, aid sets an hour and "a
half later than the sun. Observers with
good eyes will find him during the first
week in July, in the west, three quarters
of an hour after sunset. Mercury sets on
the 1St about nine O'Clock in the evening
on tue 3lst he rises few min utes before
half-past four o'clock i'll the mOrning.
Uranus is evening star. Uranus sets
on the lst at half-past eleven O'Clock i'll
the evening; on the 5lst he sets about
half past line o'clock. Neptune is morn
ing star. Mars is morning star and his
period of visibility has rot yet com
meIced.
The July moon Iulls on the 9TH at Oh.
Sim. \. NJ. The most beautiful commune